Solenoid firing mechanism for machine guns



Jam 3&1945. ,1. c. KOONZ ET AL SOLENOID FIRING MECHANISM FOR MACHINEGUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1941 d6, INVENTORS. W21 75% Jan.3%, 1945. J. c. KOONZ ET AL 2,

SOLENOID FIRING MECHANISM FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Nov. 27, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 II.- E 2.

v INVENTORS. @/ZQQ. 0on2: gz/pecwgcwwd Qauw 6 'wfgsa Patented Jan. 30,1945 SOLENOID FIRING MECHANISM FOR MACHINE GUNS John C. Koonz and LaVern Edward Quinnell,

Fort Wayne, Ind., assignors, by mesne assignments, to The MagnavoxCompany, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationNovember 27,1941, Serial No. 420,612

2 Claims. (Cl. 8928) I This invention relates to machine guns and moreparticularly to such guns intended for use in tanks.

As is well known, it is desirable that machine guns should be so mountedin a tank that if the tank becomes involved in dimculty and is unable tooperate, the gun may be readily removed so as to be usable foroperations independently or outside of the tank.

One of the object of the invention is to provide new and improved meansfor operating the firing mechanism of a machine gun of the abovementioned type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a firing mechanismoperating means, preferably of the direct-acting solenoid type, whichwill be highly efiicient and positive in action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a solenoid whichis much lighter in weight and which will require less electrical energyfor its operation than solenoids heretofore utilized for similarpurposes.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andmechanism to be hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out theabove stated objects and such other objects as will appear from thefollowing description of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine gun showing the structure ofthe present invention in its assembled position.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, but with the parts indisconnected position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational View, on a larger scale, of part of thestructure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bracket utilized by the invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the solenoid assembly according to thepresent invention.

Figure 6 is an end view of the assembly of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a plan view thereof.

Figure'8 is a central vertical section through the assembly of Figure 5on a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings, in Figures 1 and 2 more particularly, we seeat I the gun casing or body and at 2 the barrel of the gun. The guncasin I is provided at opposite sides witha depending lug or bar 4between which, in the operative position of the gun, is disposed abracket 6 and there held in place by a pin? which is passed throughopenings H0 in the lugs Q and through a bore l2 in the bracket 6.

The solenoid may comprise a circular casing I4 (see Fig. 8) which, atits upper end is closed by a plate [6 centrally bored as at "3 toreceive the upper end of the core 20 of the solenoid and through whichprojects the trigger shaft 22, the opposite end of which shaft is housedwithin the plunger 24. The reference 26 indicates the field coil orcoils from which extend to the terminal block 28 the leads 3|]. To theblock 28 is connected the cable 3! which leads to any suitable source ofelectrical energy (not shown).

The upper plate I 6 is provided with an integral extension 32constituting an intermediary memher which, it' is to be particularlynoted, is disposed at an angle to said plate [6. The bracket 6 is boredat 34 and 36 to receive screws 38 and 40 which are adapted to projectrespectively into screw-threaded openings 42 and 44, whereby theintermediary member or angularly disposed extension 32 and the bracket 6are interconnected.

To the extension 32 is secured, as by rivets 46 or other suitablefastening means, a casing comprising the side and front plates 48 and50, whereby to provide in combination with the angularly disposedextension 32, a housing triangular in cross section in which is mountedand thereby protected, the termina1 block 28. The front plate 59 of thecasing is provided with a bushing 52 which receives and protects thecable 3| and on to which may be attached a flexible conduit 54 toenclose said cable. The front plate 50 may be continued downwardly toform a cap 55 closing the lower end of solenoid casing [4 to which thecap is secured as by rivets 58.

is the finger trigger of the gun, while 62 is a tip with which the shaft22 is provided being secured thereto by a cotter pin 64.

From the above it will be seen that the solenoid is not directlyconnected to the gun, but instead is indirectly connected theretothrough the intermediary member 32 and the bracket 6. With the solenoidso mounted it is to be noted that the tip 62 on the trigger shaft 22 ispositioned directly below the finger trigger 60 of the gun.

In previous solenoid assemblies the axis of travel of the trigger shafthas not been tangent to the radius through which the finger trigger 60moves. On the contrary, in the present arrangement, by mounting the,solenoid through the medium of the intermediary member 32 and disposingthe latter at an angle of 25 or substantially so to the solenoid, theaxis of the trigger shaft 22 is placed tangent to the radius of travelof the trigger finger B0. In this way a given force on the trigger shaft22 is utilized 100%.

The above in turn leads to another advantage in the present arrangement,i. e., the weight of the solenoid can be considerably reduced as well asthe electrical power employed in its operation. For example, the presentsolenoid need only weigh one pound and use a current drain of 4 amperesat 24 volts, as contrasted with prior structures in which the solenoidhas weighed two and three quarters pounds and has required a current of8 amperes at 24 volts.

Having thus disclosed the invention, we claim:

1. An attachment adapted to be readily connected and disconnected to amachine gun casing for operating the finger trigger thereof, comprisinga solenoid, a casing therefor, an end plate secured to one end of saidsolenoid casing and provided with an extension disposed at an angle tosaid plate for mounting the solenoid on the gun casing at an angle tothe gun casing, a trigger operating shaft mounted in said solenoid andextending through and beyond said end plate and adapted to directlyengage'the fingertrigger tangentially to the radius of the travel of thefree end thereof, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. .An attachment adapted to be readily connected and disconnected to amachine gun for operating the finger trigger thereof, comprising asolenoid, a casing therefor, an end plate secured to one end of saidcasing and provided with an extension disposed at an angle to saidplate, a triangular housing connected with and interposed between saidextension and casing, adapted to house and protect terminals for thesolenoid.

JOHN C. KOONZ. LA VERN EDWARD QUINNELL.

